"Could I exchange a word with him?" "If you wish. I shall have to give you a line to the guard, in order to admit you. Just one moment,--here--with this pass they will let you enter." "Thank you very much. Till we meet again--_Addio_." It was now growing towards evening as I hastened my steps towards the lock-up house, where I delivered the arch-priest's note to the guard, who immediately gave orders to the turnkey to admit me. On entering the cell I found Antonio, as I had expected, pacing up and down dejectedly. "Well, Antonio," said I, "I have come to have a chat with you and to hear all about the miracle that happened this morning." "Ah! Signor, is it you?" cried he. "Now, was there ever an unluckier mortal on earth than I?" "Nonsense," said I, "about being unlucky. I have come to comfort you in your trouble and to hear all about the miracle." "Miracle! The devil a miracle," exclaimed Antonio. "They've miracled me within four walls, who am innocent as the babe unborn, whilst they have let go two of the greatest rascals in the village. It will be a miracle if I escape incarceration for life when I take my trial at Gennazzano." "Come," said I, consolingly, "you must not look so gloomily at things. I will do what I can to get you off, but you must tell me exactly how the whole affair happened." "Ah! that I will, Signor, and with pleasure," said he. Walking me up and down his narrow cell, the turnkey waiting at the door with his bunch of keys the while, he began his story thus:-- "You will remember, Eccellenza, that before parting from you last, I informed you of my intention of concealing myself within the confessional of the church and to remain there all night, for the purpose of observing attentively if the would-be corpse of Peppe there laid out should make any movement or betray the slightest signs of life. "At a late hour, therefore, when all was dark--that is to say, about three hours after Ave Maria--I entered the church, and there was my late friend attired as a corpse with a candle left burning at his head, as is the custom, you know, Signor, in these parts. I approached him, though not without a certain tremor, for to me there has always been something solemn and awful in being left alone with the dead, especially at midnight when the corpse is laid out in state in the middle of the church, with nothing but the feeble light of one candle to illumine its ghastly features. "Nor did this feeling at all abate when I reflected, that in all probability the supposed corpse was not really dead, but only feigning to be so. If anything, I felt more terrified. However, I advanced steadily, and gazed full in the face of it. It was very pale, and perfectly motionless, and I began to think that this must be death, and that your Excellency had been mistaken in being so positive that my friend was yet alive.